For decades people have struggled to complete the tasks assigned to them in the time provided. The problem is usually not ignorance of what is to be done. Neither is it unwillingness to do the assigned work in the prescribed time. The problem is the lack of proactive methods, practices, information and systems support.
In manufacturing, these matters have been addressed by the widely publicized Toyota Production System and its practices of Lean Production. In many professional settings and in white collar, administrative or clerical work, no such parallel systems, methodologies or processes exist. Instead, employees are drowning in a program du jour of piecemeal solutions, which may address some of the needs of the company, but do not satisfy the needs of the people doing the work.
Technology has made greater strides in the past decade than any other. More computers with more power are interconnected more effectively than ever before. Massive amounts of data are accessible at the desktops of virtually any company that chooses to have it that way. Yet, people complain about overload, stress and burnout. Productivity has grown dramatically in many industries, but in other segments of the economy—administrative and professional services, sales support, health care, legal, accounting, banking, etc.—productivity gains have been far less impressive.
A frequent problem is that information is not shared freely, and sometimes not shared at all. This lack of accurate, timely shared information is a huge problem for many organizations, since decisions are only as good as the knowledge/information on which they are based. The motives behind not sharing information are often not malicious, but are rooted in being too busy, following the wrong behaviors or struggling with inconvenient or unwieldy systems. Some people hoard information to fuel their need for power. Other information languishes unshared in the minds of employees or resides passively in the databases of the company. Flawed information leads to flawed plans, and no matter how precise the execution, flawed plans usually lead to failure. Ineffective follow-up or follow-through leads to unnecessary crises and emergencies. If the result of such behaviors and processes is not outright failure, then it is certainly a less satisfying kind of success.
Many organizations spend countless hours in meetings that do little more than “get everyone on the same page.” Then there is the problem of taking action—timely, crisp and appropriate action following important contacts with customers, suppliers and other constituents.
In the latter 1990's companies raced to “reengineer”, but often simply spread the same work among fewer people. The reengineered processes were still tangles; the necessary information to do the right things, in the right ways resided in the heads of a few people, many of whom were casualties of downsizing/early retirement. The result was systems that only provided what IT required—not what the users needed. Sticky notes, piecemeal programs and standalone systems on employees' PCs-systems are prevalent; these systems are unshared, unsupported and often not secure. Customers, suppliers, and employees are frustrated when planning/executing simple tasks fails, due to the lack of the right information, inadequate system support and most of all, the failure to follow the right interpersonal behaviors. Prompt, effective follow-through is the exception, not the rule.
Once again, this is not due to irresponsible people. Desktops and computer monitors covered with notes and reminders leaves people handling hundreds of voicemail and email messages each day in hopes of conveying or receiving the right information, coordinating the right actions and being responsive to peers, customers and suppliers.
Furthermore, every office has dozens or perhaps hundreds of “tickler files” residing in the desks of secretaries, assistants and junior level professionals, or on the ubiquitous personal computers resident on everyone's desktops. There are as many formats for “ticklers” as there are people devising them. Unless they are part of a integrated calendar management software suite, which most computers have but most users ignore, these reminder systems are random, fragmented and ineffective.
There is thus a need to improve upon management processes to avoid these continuing difficulties.